The Braves’ search for stability at shortstop just got a little more complicated, and Ha-Seong Kim is the one feeling the pressure.
Atlanta went into the winter hoping Kim would solve a problem that has lingered since Dansby Swanson left: a shortstop who can actually hit. That belief showed up in the one-year, $20 million deal the Braves gave him, a contract that came after Kim turned down a $16 million player option in the two-year, $29 million agreement he signed in February with Tampa Bay.
But the production has not followed the paycheck. Kim has only five hits this season even though he has been in the lineup since May, and the Braves have reached the point where patience is getting harder to justify.
As The Athletic’s Jesus Cano put it, “He's basically getting paid $4 million a hit. At some point, I don't know how long that leash can go,”
On Thursday morning, Atlanta added another wrinkle by recalling Jim Jarvis from Gwinnett. Jarvis is expected to start Thursday’s game and should get more chances against right-handed pitching through the All-Star break.
Braves beat writer Mark Bowman posted, “Jim Jarvis will be tonight’s starting shortstop against Cardinals RHP Dustin May, who has allowed left-handed hitters to construct a .794 OPS against him. Right-handed hitters have a .513 OPS against him. Jarvis’s LH bat could be used in similar situations over the rest of the first half,”
That development does Kim no favors. Jorge Mateo started the first two games of the series, and Jarvis now looks positioned to take a good chunk of the starts against right-handed pitching. Atlanta appears ready to keep mixing and matching at the position, with manager Walt Weiss riding the hot hand between Kim and Mateo while Jarvis gets his chances too.
For Kim, the message is clear: the Braves need more than faith now. They need hits.
In Other News...
Braves Just Made Another Telling Move As Offensive Frustration Grows
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McCutchens arrival came alongside a separate roster shuffle that also brought INF Jim Jarvis back into the picture and sent INF Rowdy Tellez off the active roster. It is the kind of transaction that says plenty about where the Braves are right now: still looking for answers, still testing options, and still trying to find a combination that can ease the frustration building around the offense. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Find One Reason For Hope In Another Costly Loss
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Hurston Waldrep provided the one encouraging note from the night. In his second big league appearance and first start of the season, he was tagged early but settled in enough to give the Braves something to build on, even if the outing still came with an early mistake that changed the tone. For a club searching for any sign of stability, Waldreps ability to recover may have mattered more than the final score, even as the larger issues kept piling up around him. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Bullpen Shakeup Raises Another Big Question About Late Innings
The Braves kept tinkering with their bullpen mix Wednesday, activating left-hander Danny Young from the 60-day injured list and bringing back right-hander Anthony Molina as they continue to sort through the late-inning picture. Youngs return gives Atlanta another left-handed option after a long rehab stretch, while Molina is back for another look as the club tries to find steadier coverage out of the pen.
The moves came with a cost, as Ian Hamilton was designated for assignment after a rough run of recent outings, and this is his second such move of the season. Atlanta also had to clear another roster spot for Molina, a reminder that every bullpen adjustment now seems to carry a second question about who gets squeezed out next. [Read more 🡒]